The Eternal Fairy
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: He died after the Fourth Shinobi War. But he didn't stay dead. Nor did he the next time. Or the next. Now, after centuries of repeating this cycle, a new realm awaits him yet again. But for how long, this time? Fairy Tail X-Over! NarutoxHarem. Vote!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: WARNING! Dark Naruto! VEEEEEEERY much so! Also, for those Fairy Tail fans, this dark guild that he's from? Its Tartaros, as we have seen almost not a thing from them yet, and since they're bound to make an appearance in the current arc, I figured, hey, what's a prominent dark guild that is now no longer part of the infamous Ballam Alliance without a massive superpower on their side?**

**Or perhaps they quit the alliance early? This is the alternate reality in which they did, indeed, forfeit their nonaggression pact in favor of outright domination over the entire world itself...**

**...**

My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and this is my story.

I am a pactmaker. A lifetaker. An oathbreaker. In my lives past, I've formed bonds and sundered them. I've had loves and lovers alike, murdering them in their sleep when they threatened to betray me. I've sired entire generations from my bloodline. I've wiped out entire civilizations overnight. I've done things _unspeakable things_; some that I regret, some that I'd do again, if given the chance. But I'm not a bad person, not really. Not yet. And yet time and time again, I find myself stuck in this damned cycle of reincarnation, wanting death, wanting to die, only to begin the cycle anew whenever my crimes catch up with me, result in my death.

Sorry, did I mention that I'm kind of immortal? Yep, that's right. _Immortal._ Not in the sense that I can't be killed_-and trust me, when you're a jiinchuuriki there are some very creative ways to die-_problem is, I just can't seem to _stay_ dead. Sure, I'll vanish for a decade or two, maybe three, but after that, BAM! Somewhere somehow _someway,_ some wench spits out a kid, and_-wouldntya know it-_that kid ends up being me, bijju and all.

I age, but not in the coventional sense of the word. Right now, I probably look like I'm about twenty-something, maybe even a little bit like my father_-kami rest his soul-_once known as the great Yondaime Hokage, but in actuality, I'm a balmy hundred and five years old. I don't know who my mother was this time, but I still consider that man to be my one and only father, just as I consider Kushina Uzumaki to be my one and only mother.

Did you get all of that? No? I haven't aged a day since we won the Fourth Shinobi War. Not until my death, that is. And as it turns out, each time I die, I get spat out in some different universe or dimension or reality, or whatever. This would have to be, lemme see...my sixth ride on this fucking merry-go-round? Anywho, this particular realm would be known as Fiorre, home to magic and sorcery and wizardy and all other kinds of hocus-pocus that I've never seen before in my life, until now.

Until I was raised by Dragons.

Yes, Dragons. As in plural. As in _more than one._ Are you keeping up? Because I have all the time in the world to explain it to you again. But I digress. There were two of them, these dragons; a mated pair. They got along well, most of the time we did. When they weren't squabbling over whether to roast me alive or teach me their ways. About seven years ago, however, they suddenly dissappeared. They, the only family I had ever known in this lifetime, abandoned me; leaving me to fend for myself.

I kept looking for them. I'm still looking, actually. I owe those two a good ol' fashioned ass-kicking for dumping me on that mountain-top and leaving me there to die. Whether they forgot about me, or, if they're even still looking for me, I don't know. I don't much care, either. Kyuubi and me, well, we've done well for ourselves in this world. Sure, we live from job to job and are despised by the Magic Council_-reminds me of the one in Konoha, only pricklier-_but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right? Ah. But I'm rambling and you're probably losing your patience. Very well then. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?

Presently_-must've done something REALLY nasty in my last life-_I find myself in the employ of the Dark Guild known as Tartarus, a Dark Guild that was once part of the famous Ballam Alliance. When I say once, I mean that I_-they-_am no longer bound by such a commitment. Grimmoire Heart has made its move to claim the Black Wizard known as the Zeref, for themselves. And as such, our guild master has taken this as an act of war, not only against us, but the world itself. Our spies recently confirmed his location on what might've have been the strangest name for an island that I've ever heard of; Tenrou Island.

Naturally, they sent their best to make sure Zeref was disposed of before he could be discovered. They neglected to mention however, that Fairy Tail was also on the islant. If they'd told me that, I would have made preparations. Had I known that I could be facing Titania, or Salamander, or_-heaven forbid-_ the legendary Gildarts, I might've brought backup, or at least another boat. Well, I'm winging it now, as it is. I've heard conflicts all over the island, but, for the most part, my prescence her is an unknown one_...I think._

Now, to find Zeref...

* * *

_(Currently)_

The forest had fallen silent.

Ominously so.

Tenrou Island _itself_ was suddenly quiet. Devoid of the sounds of battle, of the explosions birthed by magical power, even the cries of pain and defeat were nowhere to be seen nor heard from. The silence was deafening. It hung over the island like a noose, a dreadful vice that slowly became tighter with time; strangling the breath from anyone whom dared to venture into its deadly depths.

It was into such silence that this young man walked, heedless of the danger lying within.

This lone figure drifted through the trees, pausing only to glance at the massive giant that shrouded the northern half of the island in blessed shade. He liked the shade. Unlike it, unlike a hot, sunny day, he could drift off into the folds of his matte-black cloak and slumber, without pause of pretense. Now, he gingerly peeled back the hardened leather cowl from his visage, exposing the features of his face.

He was a handsome youth, if intense. His blond hair was disheveled, his blue eyes intelligent, his features balanced. Whisker marks tripled each cheek cheeks that might have dimpled with a constantly bright and enthused grin; no matter the situation or mission. Now, he was intense, his visage free of the baby fat that had cursed him in his younger years. Chiseled and nigh but expressionless, that face squinted against the sunlight, peering up into the treetops wondering at the strange sight that lay within those branches of darkened shadow.

_"Makarov,"_ He sighed softly. "It seems that your era has finally come to an end."

He spoke but a single line, as he saw the massive Airship settling down amidst Tenrou Island's coastline. He watched as a massive, towering giant of a man rose up from out of the blue, his bulk blocking the sun and casting the whole of the island itself into shadow. Even from here, one could clearly see the mark of Fairy Tail; emblazoned proudly across the aging titan's chest and torso.

_"Farewell."_

Drawing himself into a crouch, his body rippling from the motion, he burst into motion...

...and popped into existence many miles across the island.

No sooner had he done so, than wall of fire burst before his vision.

He was a tall, massive, muscular man, his skinned tanned from many days under the sun. Thick brown hair, akin to ong, dark, leathery strips of confetti jutted outward in all directions, framing brown eyes and long sideburns, joining his hair to his prominent goatee, which takes the form of several triangles pointing downwards and extending upwards on his chin. He also has a straight dark streak running over his left eye, which extends up to the top of his forehead and down to his mid cheek. Each of his ears is adorned by a large earring, shaped like a round crescent moon pointing downwards.

His outfit was illustrious and tribal at the same time, darkened pants, and a hardened vest made of both leather and armor. His eyes burned like smoldering coals as he turned away from the prone bodies of a young girl, a man, and a cat. Gingerly, the man stepped away, freeing his body from within the trees. He made no move to attack their prone forms. In fact, he seemed to be almost...dissapointed. At least it seemed that way, until he caught sight of the blond stranger standing between him and the forest.

He frowned.

"Who are you," he began slowly. "You don't look like a Fairy to me."

The blond man glanced briskly at the markings upon the man's shoulder pads.

"And _you,_ look like a member of Grimoire Heart."

"But _you_ didn't answer my question." The man answered, with a taciturn air.

"Oh yes, how rude of me!" The blond laughed loudly, stripping away a portion of his cloak at the right shoulder. Revealed was a hellish

"Codename, "Reaper" Uzumaki Naruto." The blond youth smiled softly. "Assasion of the Dark Guild known as Tartaros." He geneuflected gently and his demeaning smile didn't lessen in the slightest. "Pleased to meet you, member of Grimmoire Heart."

"What's a member of Tartaros doing here?" The unamed man asked.

"Informing you that the Ballam Alliance is now null and void." Naruto answered cheerily, laughing again when horror flickered through the eyes of the brown-eyed man. "Come now, don't make such a face! You should have known that they would send one of _us_ the moment you failed to uphold your end of the bargain." Pointedly, he held up a finger, wagging it back and forth, as though he were chastising a naughty child.

"Tell me where Zeref is, and I'll put in a good word on your behalf."

"I am Azuma," The man introduced himself. "And as a member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, I will do no such thing. Also, you would be wise not to underestimate me. But to challenge me outright, you must be someone worthy of mention." The slightest sliver of a smile pulled at Azuma's lips, and he beckoned, crooking two fingers toward his chest as though to indicate himself. "Come then, reaper." He said. "If you truly wish to fight me then I will gladly accept your challenge."

"Azuma?" The blond tilted his head, frowning at the mention of the name from his past. "Funny. I once knew someone with that name."

"What happened to him."

Abruptly, his expression turned dour. But only for a moment.

_"He died."_

Then he grinned, _grinned _as a blazing circle of brilliance, a magical seal erupted into existence around him. He flicked his fingers contemptously, as though he were swatting a hapless fly, nothing of significance. That is, until crimson fountained forth from Azuma's lips. He blinked, eyes bulging as he recognized the gaping tear in flesh, dribbling down to the ground in a steady pitter-patter as it fled from his flesh.

"Just as you're about to!"

He didn't have time to block the strike as Naruto suddenly reappeared in front of him, his bare _hand _screaming downwards against Azuma's chest. Azuma flew backwards as blood spilled from his fresh wound, the crimson liquid falling thickly upon the earth behind front of him. He slid to a stop and struggled for breath as he looked at Naruto. The youth was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the strange force that had first injured him. He stood defiantly, his bare chest heaving as he breathed, searching for his foe, searching for some way to locate the enigmatic mage that had already escaped him twice.

Naruto snapped back into his line of sight and brought his arm downwards, Azuma's vest tearing into halves as it fell from onto the ground. He skipped backwards in retreat, drawing upon his magic, drawing upon the earth itself to counter-

A foot slammed into his back, sending him plummeting towards the ground. He plowed into the upturned earth below and immediately leapt up and away, narrowly avoiding another kick that would have crushed his skull. He flew upwards as Naruto looked at him from the crater in the gravel below him. Azuma immediately hurled a mighty surge of his explosions downward, each spire of wooden earth connecting into the ground with a massive explosion. Naruto appeared above the blasts almost immediately, blurred into existence as he extended his open palm, filled with swirling energy, into his opponent's back. Azuma's brown eyes widened in surprise as a swirl of something not quite magic, not quite something else, sizzled at his chest.

Naruto exhaled softly.

"_Rasengan."_

The blast roared forward and tore against Azuma's body. The attack had been too close for him to block, much less avoid; he'd had no choice but to take the strike directly to his chest. He flew back in agony as the cruel wave ripped at his face and chest his strength burning away from his flesh. The blast seemed to last for eons before blowing past him as gravity took over, his body spiraling towards the ground limply.

_'This can't be. Such...power..._

He hit the earth with a thud, his limbs trembling slightly as his magic resealed itself within the earth. He immediately struggled to rise, his fingers workind wordlessly as they scrabbled against clods of upturned soil and dirt, forcing himself up from his back. He detected a flash of light from within his peripheals and struggled to turn towards it, but to no avail, as black spots speckled before his vision.

_**Ba-dump.**_

Naruto appeared before him with a buzz of sound, soundlessly slamming a summoned spear through his left shoulder. Azuma growled in rage and pain and frustration as the lance pinned him back against the ground. Naruto looked down at him with emotionless eyes, his scarlet orbs completely calm in the face of the Grimmoire's fury. He waited, waited, as Azuma struggled to speak, gasping out some gibberish or another, waited...

And then he struck down at the man's head.

_**Murderously, he strikes down all those who oppose him! **_

**A/N: Hahaha! I wonder which two powers Naruto will have? Magma? Smoke? Ice? Poison? Lightning? Earth? Light Void? Darkness? Who knows? Who cares! If you care, be sure to Pm me with your votes and why he should have what and such! Remember, the fate, pairing, and ultimate outcome of this story is in your hands as it has never before been! So, vote! Vote as though your very lives-and that of this story-depended upon it! Also, as a side not, he arrives whilte the Seven kin of Purgatory are still fighting the Fairies. **

**Oh, and remember to be voting on the pairing too! I really have no idea what it'll be this time, NarutoxLucy, NarutoxCana, NarutoxHarem, meh! Who knows! All the more reason for you guys and gals to PM vote...pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: WARNING! Dark Naruto! VEEEEEEERY much so! Also, for those Fairy Tail fans, this dark guild that he's from? Its Tartaros, as we have seen almost not a thing from them yet, and since they're bound to make an appearance in the current arc, I figured, hey, what's a prominent dark guild that is now no longer part of the infamous Ballam Alliance without a massive superpower on their side?**

**Or perhaps they quit the alliance early? This is the alternate reality in which they did, indeed, forfeit their nonaggression pact in favor of outright domination over the entire world itself...**

**Underworld**

_"Wait."_

Naruto paused, his hand stiffening at the last instant. His fingers remained taut; tight, and poised, prepared to deliver the final blow. And yet he stayed his hand. He paused a moment, turning, shifting, his opponent forgotten, bringing his gaze to bear upon the one who had first spoken. He'd half-expected it to be another enemy. He was wrong. His eyes bulged, widening, then narrowing, as he saw the one who'd somehow stayed his hand.

A child.

She had very long wavy hair, blank eyes and a slight, child-like build. She wore a frilly layered robe and, furthering her fairy-like appearance bore wing-like protrusions around her ears. Barefoot, she strode across the upturned earth and gravel, making her way towards him, towards the destruction he had wrought. She made no move to attack him, nor he her; because he _knew_ this child, almost as well as he knew himself.

For this was no ordinary child. Naruto took one look at her and knew it in the very core of his being. This was something else. Something like him and yet unlike him. She was familair to him, so much so that she smiled when she saw him.

She saw him.

Her eyes lit up as she skipped across the upturned roots, a gorgeous white grin streaking across her mouth as she ran to him like a child welcoming her father home from a long business trip. Naruto could only stand dumbfounded as her lithe form slid gracefully across the earth to him. There was a certain vivality about her, this little sprite who skipped across the upturned earth and ravaged roots that now comprised the terrain of Tenrou Island.

Here was a being as ancient as time itself; an entity that transcended the boundary between life and death, not unlike his own. This was a true immortal, in every sense of the word, however, not a facismile that simply reincarnated itself every few generations. She had died once already, and yet, here she stood before him, alive and well. So real he could reach out and touch her, and yet, some sixth sense warned against it.

He did so anyway.

She wrapped her arms around his neck with a squeal. Still in his state of shock, it took Naruto a moment to react and place his own arms around the thin waist of his fellow immortal. He buried his face in her neck, enjoying the warmth of her alabaster skin on his cheeks and the smell of her hair in his nostrils. It was a clean scent of delight and disbelief that welled up between the two of them, one of relief and reunion.

After almost a full minute, they pulled away from one another, his light blue eyes looking deeply into hers. She wore a subtle expression of amusement on her face as he set her down, but still, she said nothing. Rather, she waited for him to speak first. And speak he did:

_"Mavis."_ Naruto breathed, his voice betraying his own awe. The situation on Tenrou Island must be dire indeed for the spirit of their guild master, the veritable mother of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion, to show herself so soon. "What on earth are you doing, out here?" She drew back from him at that, bounding on the balls of her feet, keeping all of her grace and losing none of her balance despite the ruination that surrounded them.

The child smiled softly.

"How have you been, Naruto?" When she spoke it was like the chorus of a thousand angels; such was the majesty of her voice. Her eyes shone with infinite kindness, and as if to belly that kindness, that infinite generosity she'd been blessed with ever since she was young, his own smile grew. He barked out a laugh, reaching down to toussle her hair even though he knew that she just _hated_ it whenever he did that.

"I'd be better if you didn't assume _that_ form when speaking to me." He chided. "You know its strange for me to talk to you when you look like that."

She pouted.

"And what form might that be?" She did a little twirl, suddenly, and the mists began to swirl around her, obscuring her form from view.

"Ah, thanks." Naruto raised his gaze to meet her own.

It was a mistake.

_Once again,_ he was stricken speechless.

He took in the large eyes, perfectly coifed hair, clear skin, full lips, and lean, firm curves and he marveled at her. Hers was a beauty beyond describing, but, ultimately, it was the eyes that always ensnared him. Her eyes were cool, twin pools of crystal blue, not unlike his own. Hers were eyes that knew pain, as all human beings did, but it was pain that made her stronger; because she'd long ago avowed to live life to its fullest. Technically, she was still living. At least, her spirit was.

"How long has it been since you've seen me like this?" she giggled. "A while, hasn't it?" Maviss Vermillion_-in her true form-_laughed; it was a soft, whispery sound, and yet, when she spoke, her voice_-unlike her body-_hadn't changed in the slightest.

"I've missed you." she finished softly.

Naruto allowed a rare smile to stray across his features.

"And I you."

"So you've joined Tartaros?"

Naruto shrugged.

"I needed the money."

She frowned at that.

"Why would _you_ need money?"

"I have to eat, Mavis."

Then she frowned.

"You've aged since we saw each other last."

"I have not-

"I can see it in your eyes." Mavis continued. "Naruto, what's happened to you?"

Naruto sighed, his eyes alighted with despair. He began to walk away.

"Won't you tell me what's happened?" She pleaded.

_'When you've lived as long as we have, what hasn't?' _he pondered, and yet still, he walked away. He cared not that Azuma was dying a slow death at their feet, wedged upon that spear like a piece of human shishcabob. He didn't care about the burns he'd suffered on his right hand, lingering from his first useage of the new Rasengan variant he'd developed. He didn't even care for the fate of those members of Fairy Tail that Azuma had defeated. Mavis would tend to them, he supposed. The thought brought him some small comfort, but he discarded it. For now, all that truly mattered was the extinction of Zeref. The man was a menace, even to an immortal. He had to be destroyed before it was too late; before he came into his powers again. If he was still in his sleeping state, then it just might be possible...

"Naruto?"

This time, he did not honour Mavis with a response.

_"Take care of my children."_

Naruto stopped in his tracks, his face slowly appearing over his shoulder as he curiously regarded his former lover. A look of irritation crossed his eyes as he adjusted his cloak and weighed his response towards the silent fairy standing behind him. His fingers brushed across the ring of keys that he kept at his waist; tethered by a thick leather strap a silver

"Take care in your words, Mavis." he said, leaving his back turned as he gestured casually toward Azuma's upturned form. "My objective here is Zeref—"

"You've helped us before." She pointed out swiftly, her gaze straying significantly to the brazier he still wore over his left arm.

"I did." He made no move to deny his involvment in her guild. Because he'd been involved. Very involved. Some might say he even had a hand in the events that led to Fairy Tail's eventual rise to infamy. But that, as with everything and everyone else, was in the past. There was little point in dwelling on the events of yesterday anymore, the only brought more pain and suffering to him. He had long since resigned himself to his fate; that he'd simply enjoy whatever life he had, rules and heroics be damned! At least he told himself this, as Mavis Vermillion cried out one, final time.

_"Please." _

He lingered a moment longer, conflicted.

Then he fished out one of the many keys from the ring at his waist. Unlike the others this one was simple in appearance, if not outright generic. Wood overlaid with gentle yet simple mosaic carvings, it was a key unlike any other, and it was this key that he took and raised it into the air as though it were a blade. And like a blade he brought it down in a crushing arc that reverberated throughout the earth itself.

"I open thee." He commanded solemnly, grasping the key of wooden glass and turning before himself._ "Gate of the King!"_ He turned it in the air, and it clicked, as if it had just been inserted into an invisible lock of some sorts. With a great and glorious clang, a blue magic seal erupted into existence before him. Through this seal a pair of hands arose tearing apart the veil that separated time and space; thereby creating a means with which to travel.

Only then, as flashes of interstellar light ebbed and flowed around them, between this realm and those of the spirits, did Uzumaki Naruto turn and face Mavis Vermillion. Once, just once, couldn't he live a life that didn't involve some sort of self-sacrificing heroics? Just once? Apparently not he mused, as the founder of Fairy Tail, the one individual as old as-or possibly older-than he, approached him, and planted a swift kiss upon his cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered.

And at that, he couldn't help but smile.

"I'll see what I can do, Mavis." Naruto tried, and failed to keep the smile from his voice. "I'm not making any promises."

With that, he stepped into the portal and vanished...

* * *

...across the island once more.

Slowly, the world came back into focus, the colors of the world blurring and swaying before our anti-heroe's vision as he struggled to reorient himself with the universe. Slowly he regained sensation in his arms and legs, and, _finally,_ his face. Gods, he'd forgotten how disorienting gateway travel could be! Well, _technically,_ he wasn't supposed to travel through the realm of the Celestial Spirits in order to reach his destination, but _technically,_ he had saved their realm from utter annihilation a couple decades back_- hence these keys-_so _technically,_ it was alright.

Right?

Regardless, he had a Dark Wizard to find and if he was going to honor his promise to Mavis, some Fairies to protect. _Ugh._ Just the _thought_ of playing the hero again-as he had done back in Konoha-made him sick to his stomach. Still, he owed Mavis a favor. And if this was any way to repay that favor, than he'd gladly do whatever it was she asked of him.

It was ironic, therefore, that he should encounter the one Fairy that he wanted to fight more than anything else. He knew her on sight, garbed in naught but a black swimsuit, a bikini, as if she were invincible even without the armor; as though ther scarlet hair and the mark of Fairy Tail were not enough to give her away. He paused, lingering at the edge of the clearing, in anticipation of her approach.

Stepping out from the portal and steadying himself on a nearby branch, he took her in:

He took in the black, obsidian eyes, perfectly crimson hair, pale skin, full lips, and lean, firm curves and he marveled at her. He'd heard tales of Titania's beauty, but this was, as always, an alien experience for him. He'd been with many women in his past lives, and yet, with each reincarnation, each was somehow more beautiful than the last. Erza Scarlet was just that. She was beautiful. Truly, utterly, terribly, beautiful.

He'd heard her beauty was beyond describing, but, ultimately, it was not her beauty that ensnared him. It was the eyes that always ensnared him. Her eyes were tense, terse with tension and anxisty, twin pools of black onyx, that frantically scoured the clearing in search of something, though what, he knew not. Hers were eyes that knew pain, not that of the boidly sort, as all human beings did, but a pain that had made her stronger; strong enough to overcome any obstacle, no matter how mighty it might be.

"Are you looking for something?" He asked, leadning back against the bough upon which he'd been perched. "Or someone, perhaps?" His eyes, twin pinpricks of crimson in the dark, gleamed like soft, glimmering coals as he leered down at the trespasser. If this was who he thought it was, then he very much desired a bought with her. If it was not, it would be a simple matter to dispose of her and continue on his quest. All that remained to be seen, however, was how she would react to his prescence.

**"!"**

She stiffened, craning her neck upwards toward the treetops in search of the voice. she'd long ago avowed to live life to its fullest. He leapt, his boots skidding across the mud and the muck and the mire as he came to a halt before her. She must have seen the mark upon his neck. She must have noticed it somehow, that hellish insignia that was the sigil of his guild, because her eyes widened explosively; and, suddenly, there was a blade in her hand.

"Who are you?" She demanded immediately, her blade grazing the edge of his cheek before he could twirl away. Such skill! There was only one woman in this world who could possibly injure him with such ruthless efficancy. Only one woman would strike first_-as she did now-_and ask questions later. He brought an unarmed hand up for the next strike catching the blade between two fingers and arresting its momentum. He smiled as her eyes bulged. Smiled, as she struggled to retrieve her weapon. _Smiled_ as he twisted said weapon within his grip and brought her, body and all, over his shoulder.

She slammed into the soil with a pained gasp, her back arching in agony as her entire body spasmed in pain. She groaned, made as if to rise, but before she could do so, both her hands were bound and he was upon her, straddling her for a terrifying instant. But only an instant. Abruptly, he stood, his knee driving the air from her lungs and the fight from her body, rendering her helpless for what came next.

_"You_ are going to be still." He hissed blackly, his gaze scouring her face clean of all resistance. "And _you_ are going to listen." When she did not comply, when she refused to do as he asked, he began to realize that things were not going to be quite as simple as he had hoped. Of course, that became painfully apparent when she _bucked,_ smashing her forehead against his with such force that entire planets exploded before his vision.

"Unhand me, you fiend!"

_'Fiesty little firecracker, this one..._

His fingers closed around her throat in a hairsbreadth of a second, and then she was rising _rising,_ as he lifted her from the earth, and into the air. He held her there for a span of two beats, as if to make perfectly clear that he could snap her pretty little neck, should she resist. When she did not, he inclined his head a fraction of an inch, and released her, dropping the woman on her ass with a small sigh.

"Where is Erza Scarlet?" He demanded, his eyes burning blackly in the rain. "If you are indeed she, then tell me. If you are not, then you are wasting my time, as I have other places to be and other agents of Grimmoire Heart to eradicate."

Abruptly, she stilled beneath him.

"Grimmoire Heart?"

"What do you mean by-

"Answer my question!" He snapped back. "Are you or _are you not_ Erza Scarlet!"

"I _am_ Erza Scarlet." She rasped hoarsely, rubbing at her throat. "And who are you?" In the wake of her blatant statment, his composure shattered like so much glass. Elation, more powerful than any aphrodisiac known to man, coursed through his veins, and it was all he could do to hide his own excitement. Some small part of him thrummed, with anticipation, while the other, larger part, cringed away from a potential conflict such as this.

"Scarlet?" Naruto _blinked_ his eyes widening. To know that it was her was one thing. To actually hear it from her own lips was another matter entirely. "You wouldn't happen to be _the_ Erza Scarlet by any chance, would you?" When she nodded, he could no longer reign in his own glee. He'd made a promise to Mavis, a promise that he'd would look out for her "children" but where Erza Scarlet was concerned, this promise simply did not apply.

Naruto threw his head back and laughed.

"Great! This is great! You have no idea just how great this is, _Erza Scarlet!"_ He pointed at her, his expression one of barely contained glee. "I've been waiting for this,_ for such a chance as this,_ a chance to finally face you!" Grinning, he reached for his back and a massive blade manifested within his hand. Brandishing it, he held its tapered tip toward the S-Class mage, simultaneously flinging her another weapon with an almost contemptuous ease.

"Who _are_ you?" Erza asked again, dumbfounded as she watched his eyes flash from sapphire to scarlet in an instant; as she watched every features of his face simultaneously roughen into something savage and unholy. "Are you an enemy of Fairy Tail?" She was already standing, already falling into a stance; even as he looked on, her appalling lack of attire was replaced by a set of armour almost as hellish as hell itself. "Answer me!"

Naruto wasn't having any of this.

"What say you and I go a round or two?" He asked genially, his polite words betraying his suddenly feral demeanor. "As of now, I have some time to kill, and you, my dear, well, frankly, you, could use the practice." He smiled up from the chasm as he swept his hand up and through his hair, the blonde mess perfecting itself at the touch of his fingertips. His smile had returned. "I'll even sweeten the deal. If you beat me, I'll tell you who I am, what I'm doing on this island, hell, I'll even give you my life story, if you want it. But!" He held up a finger. "If I win...

He trailed off, grinning impishly.

"Then you have to accompany me."

Erza scowled.

"I refuse."

"Relax." Naruto explained, edging his right foot forward. "It's not like I'm going to ask you to betray your guild or anything. I'd simply like to hire you for a job once this over-ah, I mean, once I've defeated you, of course." He shrugged. "Not that it matters. This will all make sense to you once you've been beaten, neh?"

"Once you've defeated me?" Erza repeated harshly, her eyes narrowing. "Have a care for your words, you_...filth!"_

The red mage looked Naruto directly in the eye and released a dense wave of magical energy. It came upon him like a great and terrible tide, scouring him clean of all the dirt and debris he'd accumulated during his last battle. It was almost enough to force him to his knees. Almost. But not quite. Instead, he stood there, gritting his teeth. He stood, as Erza leveled her weapon-one handed!-brandishing it like the true warrior she was.

"Speak again at your own peril, fool." She warned, all of her earlier composure falling to the wayside. "I'd rather not kill you, but unfortunately, I'm not feeling very merciful at the moment." Scarce had she spoken then her blade flashed down towards his head.

Naruto bit down once more, his molars grinding against each other in a rare bout of anger. And then he responded in kind, swatting her blade aside with his own, shattering it, her armour, and her resolve with nary more than a single blow. She saw nothing but a flash of light stemming from his fingertips

_Whump._

An overpowering sensation of pressure bore down upon Erza Scarlet like an invisible hand. She sensed something enormous nearby, silent in the dark, like a giant passing within arms reach. A gravid deadly prescence too huge to grant her notice. She glanced to Naruto and saw him smile, smile as her, fingertips pressed against her temples. A droplet of blood fell from her nose and she gasped.

_'I-Impossible!'_

Erza's mouth hung open in shock as she fell to their knees. His eyes were staring straight into Naruto's, the expression on her face a mixture of fear, fury, confusion and defeated dejection. Her jaw started working but she couldn't force any sound to come out. So instead she gawped. Gawped, as the mysterious blond took three steps forward, and brought himself face to face with his fellow mage. He frowned down at her, severely.

"Before we finish, I ought to inform you," He grinned as scaled ridges etched themselves into his forehead and face lending his deadly features an almost draconic appearance in addition to his already overwhelming stature. "I was sent her to kill someone. That someone is not you, Erza Scarlet. That someone, is the Dark Wizard who spawned many demons and threw this world into chaos with his very prescence. I speak of someone, Someone I think that you, given your history, might be inclined to kill as well."

Abruptl, Erza felt the hairs of her neck stood on end. The magic that this mage was using...felt a great deal like Natsu's. Did that mean that this man was also a Dragon Slayer or was he simply a fake, as Laxus had been. She couldn't be certain. But what she was certain of, was the fact that this man was a threat. If not to herself, then to the entire guild of Fairy Tail. He was the true threat here, not Grimmoire Heart. Still, if she could somehow manage to defeat him-

His next sentence sent that fragile hope crashing down around her ears.

"I am a Dragon Slayer." Naruto announced, revealing the ridges that also lined his arms. "And I was sent her for the sole purpose of killing a certain someone. I was born and raised for this sole, singular purpose." With a flick of his fingers he banished his blade and held out both hands, each upturned clawed digits pointing toward the sky. "Because I wield the twin powers of...

**A/N: Hahaha! I wonder which two powers Naruto will have? Magma? Smoke? Ice? Poison? Lightning? Earth? Light? Void? Darkness? Who knows? Who cares! If you care, be sure to Pm me with your votes and why he should have what and such! Remember, the fate, pairing, and ultimate outcome of this story is in your hands as it has never before been! So, vote! Vote as though your very lives-and that of this story-depended upon it! Because his powers will be finally revealed next chapter so vote! Vote like craaaaaazy and hail Naruto's badassery! Ya better watch out, Zeref and Aconologia!**

**Pairing is now officially Harem! But who will be in the harem! Who knows! All the more reason for you guys and gals to PM vote...pretty please?**


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